#Exhibit of the Month

We find ourselves in the month of April, as we prepare to celebrate Easter-a moveable religious holiday rich in festive rituals and ceremonial activities that place this event at the very heart of Christian spiritual life. The spirit of the Resurrection is beautifully complemented by ten Easter-themed postcards from the heritage of the National Museum of History of Moldova, printed a century ago. These pieces were added to the museum's postcard collection over a decade ago following a successful acquisition; as the fund for Easter-themed illustrations is modest, we are in a constant search for new additions.

These postcards are "extraordinary" in terms of their postal, typographical, and chromatic effects-the primary reason for revisiting this genre of greetings. Unlike "classic" postcards, these are smaller in size (6.5 cm x 11 cm), made of cardboard (with the exception of one piece made of photographic paper in black and white), and feature "vivid" colors. Printed in Romania and Germany, they bear the marks of having been sent and circulated through the post.

The name of the holiday originates from the verb persach, meaning "to pass," a term adopted by the Jews from the Egyptians. It entered the Romanian language through the Byzantine-Latin form Paschae, signifying the "passage through death to life, the victory of life, and liberation from the bondage of sin." Easter is a holiday of tolerance and forgiveness, representing a bridge between the present and the past. The significance of this celebration is conveyed through its symbols, which are also featured on these postcards: Hand-painted eggs, the Easter Bunny and the Lamb, traditional sweet breads (cozonac and pască), biblical scenes related to the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Easter table also features pască-a ritual food reminiscent of ancient, bloodless "reconciliation" sacrifices. Its preparation is the exclusive task of women, the givers of life, as the leavened dough is considered "alive."

The most significant component of the Easter holiday, however, is the Light. The Ceremony of the Holy Light is associated with the miracle of the light appearing on Easter Sunday at Christ's Tomb in Jerusalem. The candle, often depicted in these images, carries a powerful message; it is with the Resurrection candle that we return home after the midnight religious service. Furthermore, the Easter Bunny represents the rebirth of nature, so eagerly awaited after a harsh winter.

Unlike Christmas, when the announcement and ritual integration of the community into sacred time was the duty of caroling groups, at Easter, "one does not go from house to house." Instead, the ritual meal is organized within each family, symbolizing a direct communion with God.

Virtual Tour

Publications

Library „Tyragetia"

Denis Topal

Akinakes in the west of Scythian world

Biblioteca „Tyragetia” XXXV, Chișinău, 2021, 648 p. ISBN 978-9975-80-903-0; 978-9975-87-897-5

The monograph systematizes data on Scythian blade weapons from the territory of Central and South-Eastern Europe (Moldova, western Ukraine, Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland). The paper examines in detail the finds of swords and daggers of the Scythian period (more than 200 artifacts), analyzes the chronological positions of these objects based on burials, and reveals a correlation with other types of weapons. The typological features of the weapons of the early nomads are studied against a broad cultural and historical background, covering all simultaneous cultures of the Eurasian steppe cultural continuum of the Scythian period from northwest China to Silesia, including Siberia, the Volga-Urals, the Balkans and the Caucasus. Thus, fundamental changes in the morphology of the Scythian akinakes were traced, "cultural types" were identified, the sources of generation of types of the Scythian akinakes were determined, and the dynamics of the displacement of these sources in time was shown. The book is in Russian and contains 648 pages of text, 212 figures, 40 catalogue tables and 16 color plates.

Contents

Introduction
Acknowledgements

1. FROM FIRST OBSERVATIONS TO FIRST TYPOLOGIES. HISTORY OF THE STUDY OF SCYTHIAN SWORDS AND DAGGERS

1.1. 1870-1940. First observations
1.2. 1950-1980. First classifications
1.3. 1990-2010. First typologies

2. "IDEAL TYPES" OF NON-IDEAL TYPOLOGY. EURASIAN ISSUES OF THE STUDY OF SCYTHIAN SWORDS

2.1. The origin of akinakes
2.2. Dimensional groups of Scythian blades
2.3. Ceremonial swords of early nomads and akinakes from Vettersfelde
2.3.1. Ziwiye hoard
2.3.2. Oxus treasure
2.3.3. Vettersfelde hoard

3. EARLY SCYTHIAN FORMS AND THEIR REFLECTION IN THE WEST OF THE SCYTHIAN WORLD

3.1. Bronze akinakai and early Scythian scabbards
3.1.1. Gudermes type
3.1.2. Bronze akinakai of Asia
3.1.3. Posmuș type
3.1.4. Early Scythian bouterolles
3.2. Kelermes type and its "western" variations
3.2.1. Local Early Scythian forms of Carpathian-Danube region

4. MIDDLE SCYTHIAN PERIOD. SEARCH FOR NEW SHAPE

4.1. Early Middle Scythian period. Expansion to the steppe
4.1.1. Shumeyko type
4.1.2. Vettersfelde type
4.2. Final of the Middle Scythian culture. Cozia type
4.3. Nógrád type and Scythian single-edged swords

5. ANTENNAE OF SCYTHIAN AKINAKAI. EVOLUTION OF AN IDEA

5.1. Evolution of akinakai with antenna pommel
5.1.1. Representation on the monumental sculpture
5.1.2. Antenna pommels in the Early Scythian period
5.2. "Beautification" of the pommel. Găiceana type
5.2.1. Marychevka type
5.2.2. Issyk type
5.3. "Uglification" of the pommel
5.3.1. Grishchentsy type
5.3.2. Beixinbao type

6. CLASSICAL SCYTHIA AND "GOLDEN FALL" OF SCYTHIAN SWORD

6.1. Solokha type and the final evolution of the antenna pommel
6.2. Chertomlyk type and the "Indian summer" of the Scythian culture
6.3. Shulgovka type and single-edged weapons in Classical Scythian period

7. DANUBE REGION. CHRONOLOGY OF LOCAL GROUPS

7.1. Typology of cultural groups based on the weaponry
7.2. Northwest (Polish) group
7.2.1. Northwest (Polish) group
7.2.2. Tisza (Hungarian) group
7.2.3. Transylvanian group
7.2.4. South Carpathian (Wallachian) group
7.2.5. South Danube (Bulgarian) group
7.2.6. Carpathian-Dniester (Moldavian) group
7.2.7. Steppe Black Sea group (Lower Danube and Lower Dniester)

Conclusion
Bibliography
List of abbreviations
Catalogue of swords, daggers and scabbard elements of the Scythian period in the Danube region
Summary (in English)
Summary (in Romanian)
Figure captions
Colour figures